What is your favorite music to listen to while working on a big project?

When working on something I need to seriously focus on, I tend to stick with music without lyrics (otherwise, I'd just sing along). I like to keep it upbeat too, so I stay away from classical. I have Pandora on for about 70% of the day. Lately, I've been on a big Roots and Girl Talk kick, they definitely keep me going.
I'm with Brian though, Rodrigo y Gabriela is always great.

Nothing beats a steady mix of 90s gangster rap. Throw the following albums on a playlist and hit shuffle:

Wu Tang - Enter the Wu Tang
Notorious BIG - Ready to Die
Tupac - All Eyez On Me (Disc 2)
GZA - Liquid Swords
Snoop - Doggystyle
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
Nas - Illmatic

Yo-Yo Ma. I think anyone that thinks that they can truly multitask is deluding themselves, so I think it's best to keep music as just white noise. If there are lyrics and you're actually paying attention to the music, it's a distraction and makes you inefficient. A little classical will keep the other distractions at bay, and keep you focused on your work.

Hanz Zimmer

Slightly off topic for this question, but for those who enjoy using Pandora to listen at work, consider checking out Grooveshark.com. You can create genre or artist stations much the same as Pandora, but you can also search for any song / artist and play them directly.

You also have the ability to create and save playlists once you've logged in. It's essentially like having iTunes at work, but with an unlimited library to choose from. I've found it's an awesome way to listen at the office!

I, too, agree with with most of you. When I'm creating spreadsheets, putting together pivot tables or analyzing data, I have to stick to the music without lyrics. Pandora's Kaskade or ATB station is pretty good for this. Otherwise, the Backstreet Boys never fail to keep me going.

I like to listen to a lot of different music while working on a project, but there are several industrial bands that always get me going: Combichrist, Ministry, Skinny Puppy and Nine Inch Nails.

I also like a mild set list at times and put on Tori Amos, Massive Attack or Tricky.

Often times I will put the entire ipod on random and just go with the flow as it bounces between several very different genres. It keeps me on my toes as I multitask.

I spend a lot of my day talking on the phone, but when I am doing social media or working on marketing or documents, I have the head phones on.

I do two things:

1. Pandora -- I like metal so i have a metal station
2. Pantera and Ozzy -- I get my juices flowing

I agree with Andi, it really depends on what you are working on. When I am writing code or working on spreadsheets I need something uptempo that acts as background music but if I am creating presentations I need something more in depth that will put me in a creative state of mind.

ABC Lounge. Station I found on Pandora from the French Riviera. Perfect background music.

Minimal, melodic techno.

I spend a lot of time on the phones, so I typically listen to rap/hip hop early in the morning. It helps me get my game face on and it wakes me up. I have Bun B, Living Legends, People Under the Stairs, Murs, and Mos Def all on my pandora playlist.

My evenings are relatively relaxed. I finish up the day by doing social media and following up on emails. I tend to have easy listening music on. I like Zac Brown Band, Eric Church, Credence Clearwater Revival and Sam Cooke just to name a few.

Another great website to check out for music is http://listen.grooveshark.com. They allow you to create your own playlist with multiple artists.

I am a relic from the 80's so I have lots of metal like Skid Row, Metallica, Ronnie James Dio.

For me, music isn't about relaxing, it's really about getting my pulse up to make it happen. Alot of people at work do relaxing music. That's just not me.

I personally agree with Andi in that vocals in music can be distracting at times. I really enjoy movie soundtracks for listening material during work. Orchestral based soundtracks are thoughtfully put together, very well composed and designed to flow really well from track to track almost as if it is one song. In this realm, I like the soundtracks to Braveheart, The Godfather, The Good The Bad and The Ugly, Inception and even the Daft Punk composed soundtrack from Tron. Soundtracks that offer a great array of songs, some with vocals and some without, include Pulp Fiction, The Big Lebowski, Reservoir Dogs, and O Brother Where Art Thou?. Those usually work great when in the flow of the work day or a project.

If my energry is low and I am having trouble getting motivated I go either one of two ways. Heavy Metal (and it's many sub-genres including: Death, Thrash, Speed and Doom Metal) or music with a Latin influence such as Tito Puente, Buena Vista Social Club or the soundtrack to Mambo Kings. The Metal bands include Pantera, Slayer, Metallica (strictly Kill 'Em All through ...And Justice For All), At the Gates, The Black Dahlia Murder and a bevy of other heavy hitters. These types of music serve to get me up and moving, getting the blood flowing and back in to mood to "do work."

And hay!...a little Purple Rain never hurts either.

Straight Techno... no words to distract you... especially when coding you don't want to accidentally start typing lyrics.

I have been wanting to run a survey on this for a long time! But for now, my personal answer is annoyingly inconclusive:

It totally depends on my mood. The only thing consistent about my musical preferences when working is the rhythm. If I'm doing a lot of analysis, thinking, general brainwork, I need something low key that's not going to distract me, but rather keep me relaxed and focused. However, if I'm plowing through a mountain of busywork that simply needs to be processed (but doesn't require a whole lot of original thought), then I like something fast and up-tempo... I recently went through a phase of working to techno music which I rarely listen to on my own time out of the office. All in all, I tend to choose my music based on 2 things: my general mood and the type of work I'm doing.

If I'm in the middle of a major project, my headphones (no interruptions/distractions) are plugged into the soundtrack from "Pirates of the Caribbean."

Otherwise, it's usually the works of David Arkenstone.

and Boston sports radio

Paul Simon hits the spot more often than not...

I have been wanting to run a survey on this for a long time! But for now, my personal answer is annoyingly inconclusive:

It totally depends on my mood. The only thing consistent about my musical preferences when working is the rhythm. If I'm doing a lot of analysis, thinking, general brainwork, I need something low key that's not going to distract me, but rather keep me relaxed and focused. However, if I'm plowing through a mountain of busywork that simply needs to be processed (but doesn't require a whole lot of original thought), then I like something fast and up-tempo... I recently went through a phase of working to techno music which I rarely listen to on my own time out of the office. All in all, I tend to choose my music based on 2 things: my general mood and the type of work I'm doing.

Right now it's a random collection of artists that include DJ Quoc, AC/DC, Jeff Buckley, INXS, Darin Schaffer, MUSE and the theme song from St. Elsewhere.

Depends on my mood.

I like Grateful Dead, Phish, etc on a regular basis.
If I need to get "pumped up", I might play some Who or Jimi Hendrix.

Aerosmith

Reggae (Pandora: Matisyahu).

Strange, I know. But it's relaxing while remaining a bit jovial and uplifting.

I'm a bit ADD, so I need complex music. Somehow it distracts a part of my brain that's trying to follow the multiple voices -- melodies, harmonies, rhythm's etc. 70's progressive rock (Yes, ELP, etc) works well. Peter Gabriel too.

Sometimes some high energy or head banging works well. Jane's Addiction (Been Caught Stealing) or Stone Temple Pilot

One of the reasons I love Pandora. Pop in a song or band and you get a whole stream.

http://radiotuna.com/ providers my "big project" music of choice. From their web site: "Radio Tuna is the first real-time search engine for online radio, and we’re the only radio search engine that profiles stations based on the music they play, rather than what they say they play."

My top 3 bookmarks ...

1. Subflow radio - a non-stop mixture of Minimal, Techno, and Tech House music

2. Delicious Agony Progressive Rock Radio - Prog Rock, Classic Rock, and Psychedelic Music

3. Ancient FM - Renaissance, Medieval, and a touch of Avantgarde

If you love music, and haven't checked out Radio Tuna yet, go there now!

Any classical instrumental - no words

I agree with Andi: music without lyrics
For me and as much as I love music, if I'm working on something that requires thinking I listen to silence, the mother of sound.
If the job at hand is just routine and I've done it a thousand times then music keeps good company. I enjoy mostly instrumental, I'm a sax player. Jazz, classical or folk. Very rarely get into pop music when I'm working.

What a fantastic question with so many answers.

More often than not, I'll rely upon some rich passionate music that moves me lyrically. It almost aways is a rock based band like Blue October, or Evans Blue. However there's many times I've cranked out deadline materials to David Gray, or Seether, or Coldplay.

Then again, is there a wrong answer to this question?

Music from the 40's 50's 60's. Sinatra, Sammy Dvis Jr, Loretty Lyn, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Patti Page, Judy Garland, Dinah Shore and more.

I find the lyrical content bearable and puts you in a pleasant mood. Which is conducive to my creativity.

My iPod has everything from Glen Miller in the 40's and current Amanda Palmer with a lot of hard rock in the middle. I do not listen to music at work as it can be distracting, but after work going home it is loud.

country music.